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The Easiest Ways to Neutralize Fridge Odor

Odor’s Coming from my Fridge! What Do I Do?

No matter how hard we try to keep everything clean at home, things will get messy and smelly every once in a while. This includes the fridge – you might not think cleaning the fridge is important, but wait until it starts to smell. Fridge odor are not uncommon nowadays. We fill our fridge up to the top, restricting air circulation inside and raising the risk of fridge odors.

What Makes a Fridges Smelly?

Apart from the obvious (some kind of food rotting), fridge odor can also come as a result of poor air circulation as well as failing operation. No matter the reason, fridge odors are pretty hard to get rid of. Even if you clean the fridge nicely, they can still linger for weeks or months. Sometimes, a good clean isn’t very helpful, especially if its expired food causing the odor. If that’s the case, sniff the culprit and take it out before things get worse.

Once you’ve identified the problematic piece, it’s time to clean the fridge. And, by clean, we mean, a deep, hard clean. In order to remove fridge odors, you need to take the fridge shelves out and let the fridge defrost in the meantime. Of course, there are some other options you can use that will do the trick just as well.

Bleach and Water

The easiest way to clean your fridge and eliminate odors is a mix of bleach and water. Turn your fridge off, move the food to a cooler (don’t forget to throw the culprit out), and mix a gallon of water with a tablespoon of bleach. Take a sponge and wash your fridge thoroughly from the inside. That should do the trick. If the fridge still smells afterward, it’s time to take out the big guns.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a great odor remover and a real lifesaver when it comes to fridge odors. If your fridge is still smelly after giving it a nice wash, put a cup of baking soda inside. It should absorb the odor in just a few days.

Vinegar

Many people clean their fridge with vinegar as a preventing measure against bacterial buildup within and to prevent odors. Just like baking soda, vinegar can neutralize odors, so it’s worth giving a try instead of the bleach-water combo.

Coffee Grounds

If the odor’s not too strong and you’ve identified what’s causing it, put a cup of fresh coffee grounds inside. They should absorb the odor in just a few days.

Activated Charcoal

Another simple way to prevent fridge odor, activated charcoal works just as good as the other methods. Simply put a cup inside your fridge and let the charcoal work. For even better results, spread some activated charcoal on a piece of paper inside your fridge.

Essential Oils

Essential oils such as lemon or grapefruit can do wonders for fridge odors. Take a cotton ball and soak it nicely in your favorite essential oil, then put it inside your fridge. Put a few inside and your fridge will be odorless in 24 hours.

Unscented Cat Litter

Chlorophyll cat litter also works well for absorbing fridge odors. Just put some in a shallow pan and leave it inside the fridge. The smell should be gone in a few days.